In the winter of 1920, a quirky bequest draws Morrie Morgan back to Butte, Montana, from a year-long honeymoon with his bride, Grace. But the mansion bestowed by a former boss upon the itinerant charmer, debuted in Doig’s best-selling book The Whistling Season, promises to be less a windfall than a money pit. And the town itself, with its polyglot army of miners struggling to extricate themselves from the stranglehold of the ruthless Anaconda Copper Mining Company, seems - like the couple’s fast-diminishing finances—on the verge of implosion.

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In the winter of 1920, a quirky bequest draws Morrie Morgan back to Butte, Montana, from a year-long honeymoon with his bride, Grace. But the mansion bestowed by a former boss upon the itinerant charmer, debuted in Doig’s best-selling book The Whistling Season, promises to be less a windfall than a money pit. And the town itself, with its polyglot army of miners struggling to extricate themselves from the stranglehold of the ruthless Anaconda Copper Mining Company, seems - like the couple’s fast-diminishing finances—on the verge of implosion. These twin dilemmas catapult Morrie into his new career as editorialist for The Thunder, the fledgling union newspaper that dares to play David to Anaconda’s Goliath. Amid the clatter of typewriters, the rumble of the printing presses, and a cast of unforgettable characters, Morrie puts his gift for word-slinging to work. As he pursues victory for the miners, he discovers that he is enmeshed in a deeply personal battle as well - the struggle to win lasting love for himself.

The historic details that are provided through the story about Butte and Anaconda's control of Montana are spot on. Having lived in Montana and travelled through Butte, it's easy to "see" the characters play out their lives in this tumultuous backdrop. I'm a long-time fan of Ivan Doig and pretty much enjoy anything he writes!

However, I did NOT enjoy the narrator of this audio version. His inflection was often off and there was little or no differentiation between characters. I found myself repeating the lines after him in what I thought would have been a much better cadence or emphasis, I was that unhappy with his performance. The story itself kept me listening but the narration was grating.

At first I did not think I would like this book or the reader. But I stayed with it and ended up loving both. Great wit and wonderful relationships between the characters. Will go back now and listen to Work Song which I understand is the first book in this two book series.

I enjoyed learning a little about the copper industry in Montana, but I did feel that the story could have been much more dramatic.

I liked the characters of Russian Famine and Grace but ultimately felt that their actions were not consistent with the way they were drawn out initially. I needed more plausible reasons for their actions.

I thought the ending of the book - Famine's resolution and Grace and Morrie's situation - were weak. I enjoyed the book while listening to it but ultimately wish it had somehow packed more punch.

If you could sum up Sweet Thunder: A Novel in three words, what would they be?

Engaging, thoughtful, intelligent

What did you like best about this story?

I loved the characters and the events that take place in their lives. This is the third book I've read with Maury Morgan as a character (the others were "Whistling Season" and "Work Song"). He is one of the most interesting characters I've ever experienced. He is smart, has values, and has to work through a life in which trouble seems to find him. I always wonder how he'll manage to get out of the situations in which he finds himself. I know he will, but I love hearing him do it. This is an example of Doig's talent to write a book without using foul language which I can't say about all of his books. I like the clean ones so much better. I love that this character is smart and uses his wits to solve problems. I also love the subtle exposure to the history of a time long gone. Great book!

What does Jonathan Hogan bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The narrator's voice was pleasing to listen to and I lost myself in the story. I think he is perfect for Maury and also makes the other characters believable. My time at the gym flew by while listening to this book. I love the different voices including the ones with accents. The female voices didn't feel forced. Loved his narration!

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